Preseason panic?

After four mistake-filled outings, Tony Romo and the other starters will be on the sideline Thursday night when the Cowboys host Miami in the preseason finale. With the Sept. 12 opener at Washington looming, we tackle the debate about whether the team’s preseason struggles are a sign of things to come.

THREE REASONS FOR FANS TO WORRY

Problems up front: The injury-riddled, aging offensive line has yielded five sacks and has been consistently weak at the point of attack. With left guard Kyle Kosier (knee) likely out for the first two games, don’t be surprised if the running game continues to plod.

Question mark at kicker: David Buehler has no NFL regular season experience kicking field goals, yet Wade Phillips has passed up several opportunities to test him in the preseason. Even if Buehler gets a few attempts tonight, fingers will be crossed on the Dallas sideline when he kicks in the opener.

One-hit wonder?: Miles Austin had an uneven preseason, dropping a few passes but also scoring the only touchdown produced by the first-team offense. Are Kim Kardashian and the lack of a long-term contract extension combining to throw him off track?

THREE REASONS FOR FANS TO RELAX

Defense to the rescue: A fierce pass rush can make up for deficiencies in other areas. As long as outside linebackers DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer remain healthy, Dallas should be stout defensively.

Dez will dazzle: Rookie Dez Bryant will stretch the field, opening things up for the other receivers and play-action runs. Sure, he’ll be rusty at first after the ankle injury, but it shouldn’t take long for his big-play ability to show up.

Quarterback confidence: Romo is in his prime and coming off a season that saw him pass for a club-record 4,483 yards with 26 TDs and just nine interceptions. The arrow is pointing up at this key position.

BOTTOM LINE: Preseason results are meaningless. As we’ve heard repeatedly from Phillips, the Cowboys play with a “short stick” because they don’t game plan and they hold back plays. Still, the lack of push from the offensive line is a concern. Until that unit rounds into shape, Dallas might have to rely on its defense to save the day.